Case Studies

Read the case studies below. Look at the “symptoms” and/or troubles the student is having and use your resources to try to identify what disability that child may have.

Case 1: Maya
Maya has trouble when listening to lectures. When the teacher asks a question she is typically unable to respond or gives responses that appear to be off the topic. She complains that the teacher is talking too quickly. She often has to look around the room to see what other students are doing after directions are given. What kind of deficit might Maya have?

Case 2: Chris
Christopher is poorly organized. He is often clumsy and his written work tends to be sloppy. He struggles to understand the cardinal directions on maps and eastern and western regions. He also has difficulty with time concepts and chronology. What kind of deficit might Christopher have?

Case 3: Jose
Jose’s teacher complains that Jose is never completely still in class. He often tears papers, stares at things, and stops working when computers fans come on in the room. He is even distracted by the sun going under the clouds. Often he will blurt out about off topic things like what he did with his brother over the weekend, at inappropriate times. He is often written up for behavior problems. What kind of deficit might Jose have?

Case 4: Tara
Tara is a struggling reader in her classroom. When reading out loud she often has to stop and attempts to sound out the words, often forgetting where she has left off and losing the meaning of what she has already read. She is a struggling speller as well and often her writing does not make sense and has poor spelling within the writing. What deficit might Tara have?

Case 5: Hakim
Hakim has a hard time expressing himself in class. He often has to read materials many times before being able to explain what he read. Often when he talks out loud he has incomplete thoughts and does not express himself well. He struggles to follow directions as well. What deficit might Hakim have?